1910
1999
Side by side comparison
Map
Data Sheet
VALLEY OF THE GODS
General Description: This photo is one of a series depicting development
in the Goodridge Oil Field. The view is west toward Bell Butte and across public
land administered by BLM.
Soils: Soils at this site are comprised of Moenkopie or Moenkopie warm
complex. They are red very gravelly to sandy loams ranging in depth from only 6
to 9 inches over bedrock. Both soils are moderately to rapidly drained with very
low water holding capacities.
Precipitation: A fifty year average annual precipitation of 6.50 inches
has been recorded at Mexican Hat, Utah, some 6 miles south of this photopoint.
Legal Description: NE1/4NW1/4 Section 7 T.41S., R.19E.
COMPARISON: This harsh site does not seem to have appreciably changed in
the 89 years between photographs. The same plant species, apparently some of the
same plants, at similar frequencies are present in 1999. Possibly a few of the
shadscale and wolfberry plants have been replaced by blackbrush. Because of the
low precipitation and shallow, relatively unproductive soils that exist here,
the site may be in a stable state. As such, improvements such as change in
vegetation composition and frequencies are slow to occur. Some other plant
species that occur here include Mormon tea, snakeweed, curlygrass, globemallow
and prickly poppy. Some drilling operation litter can still be found on the
site.
Original:
Date: ca. 1910 (- A)
Photographer: E.G. Woodruff
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Colorado
Photograph Number: Woodruff No. 163
Retake:
Date: June 3, 1999 (- B)
Photographer: Earl Hindley
Source: San Juan County
